Written and directed by Isaac Hirotsu Woofter, in order to escape her drug dealing abusive stepfather, a young introvert flees to NYC. After successfully reinventing herself, she realizes she must confront her dark past, to truly be free. Starring: Alexandra Faye Sadeghian, Jessica Pimentel, Ramin Karimloo, Bryant Carroll, Jaye Alexander, Josh Alscher and Pooya Mohseni.
The first thing that has to be acknowledged with Bound is how difficult it is to build a sincere story of homelessness and trauma within the limitations of independent film. There have been so many to get it wrong, becoming emotionally manipulative, transparent or hollow, which is why it’s so impressive that Isaac Hirotsu Woofter avoids all of those traps. Woofter creates something that’s immediately compelling, setting a strong atmosphere of emotional suffering, tension and giving a complicated, layered feel to his story.
Not only that but it’s consistent throughout the film, it sets that excellent first impression then keeps you glued until the end. It progresses well, ramping up the tension, which is already high because Woofter does a great job of translating the anxiety and fear of his leading lady Bella (Alexandra Faye Sadeghian) with his directorial style. It’s something that he does extremely well throughout, especially in that it creates a perfect balance between the inherent darkness to Bound and its themes of compassion and friendship. There’s plenty of grit and struggle but it never completely loses hope.
Part of that is the fantastic ensemble at work here, each of them boost that sincere atmosphere, and create characters with captivating personalities. Starting with Alexandra Faye Sadeghian who is superb at building the intense vulnerability to Bella but never makes her feel weak. She’s prideful and headstrong, at times to her own detriment, and she’s easy to relate to and sympathise with. What’s interesting is when she’s then opposite Jessica Pimentel’s Marta who holds a lot of those same qualities but below the surface, presenting a more confident front. She’s extremely charismatic, caring and Pimentel is a very underappreciated actress.
Their friendship group is then rounded out nicely with Ramin Karimloo and Jaye Alexander. Karimloo has an endearing warmth and generosity, with a stoic and storied undercurrent, which is never fully explored but it speaks to his performance that it didn’t need to be. Alexander ups the energy of any scene he’s in, he creates a loud, unapologetic personality which matches up surprisingly well with Bella, the banter between the two of them is really enjoyable to watch. Especially because there’s a mutual recognition of trauma running beneath their connection. Together the four of them build a big heart at the centre of Bound.
Arguably however, the most unusual and interesting character that Woofter has to offer is Bella’s stepfather Gordy, played by Bryant Carroll. The reason for that being he doesn’t fit the norm for characters of his type, abusive and manipulative, he’s also strangely vulnerable and protective. He’s a unique blend having the best of intentions but also being completely unaware of the larger consequences of his actions. It’s a refreshing change of pace to not just see the stereotypical brash, dominant and threatening type. Carroll’s performance is perfectly aggressive yet broken.
There’s also a great score at work, by Ethan Startzman, which is nicely understated but comes in strong at the right moments. The way that the film moves brings through an edge of thrill but doesn’t become distracted by it, it keeps the bigger picture in mind. Having a good hand at the wheel to know how to up the stakes without losing sight of the end game is a huge benefit. Although at times the cinematography can lose detail, going a little too dark.
Bound is an impressive debut feature from Isaac Hirotsu Woofter, the strength of the sincerity and atmosphere which he builds is exceptional. Alexandra Faye Sadeghian gives an excellent leading performance and has a terrifically talented ensemble behind her. It manages to bring through those thriller and crime veins to up the tension and risk without losing its drama roots. It’s balanced, well shot, compelling and an absolute gem of an indie film. And the addition of an adorable sugar glider is always a bonus.
FilmCarnage.com 
This is an amazing well articulated review! Thank you!
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